Fabulously hearty vegan gumbo with loads of flavor from a rich vegan roux and tons of veggies. Savory and delicious comfort food!
This vegan gumbo came about because a reader requested it (thank you!). I don’t know if I would have really tried to make a gumbo if I hadn’t received the request because it just wasn’t something that was on my radar very much.
I’m really glad it is now though. I set out to find out all about it, and Jaye and I had big fun experimenting with the recipe to get the perfect gumbo!
And this recipe is it. It’s extremely delicious, with a rich flavor that comes from a slow cooked roux and plenty of vegetables.
For another Louisiana-inspired favorite, try our vegan jambalaya too.
How To Make Vegan Gumbo
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
The key to a good gumbo is the roux. You cook it long and slow until it reaches a milk chocolate color. It requires a bit of patience and a lot of stirring but it’s totally worth it.
Vegan Roux for Gumbo
Add some vegan butter to a pot. Let it melt over medium heat, and then add in the all purpose flour and stir it into a paste. And then keep stirring!
Over the course of about 20 minutes (if you’re on high heat) and around an hour on low heat, you keep stirring and watch that roux change.
It starts off as a thick paste, and then starts to thin out, but the color stays the same.
Gradually the color starts to change, so that eventually you have the color of milk chocolate.
The milk chocolate color is exactly what you’re going for and indicates that your roux is perfectly done.
If you burn the roux, you have to start again. So depending on the pot you’re using, you might well be better off taking the slow and steady approach.
We have made it both ways, at high heat and getting it to the milk chocolate stage within around 20 minutes, and the slow and steady way on low to medium heat, taking around an hour to get to the milk chocolate stage.
Even if you start off at fairly high heat, keep a super close watch and be ready to turn down the heat at the smallest hint that it might burn. And stir non-stop.
Our pot is very heavy bottomed, so the chance of burning is lowered, so doing it at high heat wasn’t as much of a risk. All this to say, be careful and don’t burn it.
TIP: Vegan butter can be replaced with oil. However vegan butter is preferable for flavor in this dish.
The ‘Holy Trinity’
Once your roux is ready, then you add the ‘Holy Trinity’ of veggies! In Cajun cooking, this is finely chopped green bell peppers, celery and onion. Add that to your roux and stir it in.
Let it cook until softened.
Then add vegetable stock and stir it in.
Next comes some frozen veg or okra – we would have used okra but could not find any, so settled for frozen mixed veg – cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, cajun seasoning, liquid smoke and a bay leaf. Stir this in.
Add chopped tomatoes and kidney beans and stir in.
And then just let it all simmer away until everything is cooked and fragrant and totally delicious.
Season with some salt and pepper and serve!
How to Serve Vegan Gumbo
Serve it with rice and some chopped spring onions (also known as green onions or salad onions or scallions) on top. This is the traditional way to serve it. Of course if you want to serve it with cauliflower rice that would be great too.
If you want to serve something on the side, then you can’t go wrong with some vegan cornbread or home baked whole wheat bread!
Make It Gluten-Free
You can try using a gluten free all purpose flour blend instead of the regular flour to make your roux. Make sure you get it to the chocolate color the same way you would with the regular flour.
Storing and Freezing
Keep leftovers stored in the fridge in a covered container and they will stay good for 4-5 days.
It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
You will love this vegan gumbo recipe! It is:
- Hearty
- Rich
- Veggie-Packed
- Comfort Food
- Savory
- Delicious!
It’s even easy to make. Don’t be intimidated by that roux, it’s actually really easy.
More Hearty Vegan Dinner Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Gumbo
Ingredients
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- ⅔ cup All Purpose Flour (83g)
- 2 Medium Green Bell Peppers Finely chopped
- 2 Celery Stalks Finely chopped
- 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Finely chopped
- 2 cups Vegetable Stock (480ml)
- 1 cup Mixed Frozen Vegetables
- 1 Medium Head of Cauliflower chopped into florets
- 5 cups Cremini Mushrooms (480g) Sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Crushed Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 14 ounce Can Chopped Tomato (400g)
- 15 ounce Can Kidney Beans Drained
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
For Serving:
- Basmati Rice
- Chopped Spring Onions
Instructions
- Add the vegan butter to a heavy bottomed pot and let it melt over medium heat. Add in the all purpose flour and stir it into a paste.
- Keep stirring and over the course of about 20 minutes (if you’re on high heat) and around an hour on low to medium heat, you’ll watch the roux change, from a thick paste into a thin sauce and the color will gradually change until you eventually reach a milk chocolate color which indicates that your roux is perfectly done. A high quality heavy bottomed pot will be ideal especially if you choose the high heat fast route. If you have a concern that it may burn in your pot then rather take the slow and steady approach. The end result will be worth it.
- If you burn the roux, you have to start again. So be very careful. Unfortunately once burnt that roux can’t be salvaged and it will have to be redone.
- When your roux reaches the milk chocolate stage, then add in the green bell pepper, celery and onion, called the ‘Holy Trinity’ of veggies. Add to your roux and mix in and cook until the veggies are softened.
- Add the vegetable stock and stir in.
- Add frozen veg, cauliflower florets, mushrooms, garlic, cajun seasoning, liquid smoke and a bay leaf. Stir this in.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and kidney beans and stir in. Bring it all to a simmer, cover the pot and leave it to simmer until everything is cooked and fragrant.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with basmati rice (optional) with some chopped spring onions on top.
Notes
- Vegan butter can be subbed for oil but vegan butter is recommended.
- If you can get okra then you can swap the mixed frozen veg for 1 cup of fresh or frozen okra.
- Cremini mushrooms are also called baby bella or portobellini. You can also swap these for white button mushrooms.
- Spring onions are also called green onions or salad onions or scallions.
- Cook time presumes only 20 minutes is spent on the roux.
- Nutritional information is for gumbo only and does not include rice.
Wow, this recipe is fantastic! Almost didn’t make it because I was intimidated by the roux, but I’m so glad I tried it (though as others have mentioned, my stirring arm hurt the next day). Comforting and flavorful. My partner won’t eat mushrooms, so I put in more mixed veggies. We had it with rice and got four meals out of it. This is definitely going on our favorites list, so thank you so much for developing the recipe! Next time I want to try adding vegan sausage. Can’t wait to try your jambalaya recipe!
So happy you enjoyed it! The roux isn’t as hard as it sounds, but I hear you on the sore arm from stirring though, haha! Thanks so much for sharing and the awesome review!
I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write this review; Ive probably made this recipe about 20 times. It’s so mouthwatering and savory and packed full of veggies. I add vegan sausage and always use the okra if I can, but this is one of those recipes that taste amazing no matter what veggies you have on hand to put in it. Truly a gumbo! I don’t even need to look at the webpage to know what goes in it or how to make it. This might sound sappy, but this recipe means so much to me. I found it at a difficult time in my life; The pandemic had turned my routine upside down so I took up cooking. I had no money at all, and my ex and I were living together in a tiny 600 sqft apartment. I made it for his birthday, and he absolutely loved it. This, and your banana bread recipe. It lasted us both for 3 days! Now that I’m eating it alone, it lasts me a whole week!!! I’ve sent this recipe to countless friends and coworkers who fall in love after I share a bite. Thank you for being the beacon of yummy light in my life. Cheers to many more days of gumbo leftovers.
Thanks so much for the awesome comment and review Lauren! I’m so happy that it helped in a small way and really appreciate your kind words!
Thank you for this recipe! I haven’t had gumbo in over eight years since before going vegan and while creole seafood gumbo can’t be replicated this more than satisfied my craving! The flavor is mouthwatering! I made it my own by adding impossible spicy sausage, a can of diced green chilis for extra heat, extra can of beans, omitting the cauliflower and upping the liquid smoke and Cajun seasoning. So perfect for this drab winter weather and I can’t wait to see how it tastes tomorrow after the flavors have set in. I’m so glad I used your recipe for inspiration!
So glad it satisfied your craving Mariah, and thanks for sharing your adjustments, it sounds delicious!
I loved loved this! Even better the next day. I switched it up a bit. Did not use cauliflower or frozen veggies. Instead I used okra and beyond meat spicy sausage.
The whole family loves it!
That sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing Shelly!
Made this tonight for my vegetarian family who has never had gumbo. I was unsure because I have always loved gumbo, but thought of it as a “must have meat” sort of dish. It was amazing! So glad I took the time to make it. We changed to mixed veg. and mushrooms to carrots lots of extra beans and extra tomato. Also tripled the recipe because we have a large family. Again, so glad I did. Stirring the roux gave me some shoulder pain, but worth it!
Fantastic! So happy you enjoyed it! And haha yes the stirring does give your arm and shoulder a bit of a workout. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
Big fan of this recipe as a base! Made a few minor changes: more garlic, subbed fire roasted tomatoes, more liquid smoke, added apple cider vinegar, skipped bay leaf (didnt have it). Served it over cauliflower rice. One recipe provided my lunch for an entire week! Tastes amazing
Omg! Unbelievable how good this recipe is. Trust me I’ve visited New Orleans many times when I ate meat and I’ve had the seafood and sausage gumbo. But this recipe makes me glad I’m a vegan. It was so easy and delicious.
Thanks so much Melissa! That’s awesome! 🙂
Hi, I’m from New Orleans and just made this recipe. It’s great! I added a little more liquid to hit that point halfway between stew and soup, but otherwise followed spot on. The roux was a little scary and took two tries but was such fun to make. Will def make this in the future, thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh.My.Goodness. This recipe is amazing. Full disclosure: I am not Cajun, but the flavors are so spot-on! I was a bit intimidated by the prospect of making the roux, but it was not as stressful as I had imagined. I added vegan sausages, and it was a huge hit! Thanks for this awesome recipe and instructions!
So happy to hear that Charity! thanks for the amazing review.
I didn’t quite get my roux to the milk chocolate color but the taste is phenomenal. I was too afraid to burn! Only thing I did different was a little extra garlic (wanted to use up what I had) & some fire roasted canned tomatoes and a little smoked paprika. Glad I’m the only one eating in my house because I don’t want to share it!
So glad to hear it turned out great Beth! Thanks for the great review.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I did end up adding about 3 cups of water to the soup as I found it a little too think following the recipe exactly. Just for clarity, I am not a vegan but this recipe has beautifully rich flavour – you don’t miss the meat at all.
Awesome, thanks Sean!
Simply delicious and packed with healthy veg. Love this meal it is so moreish!
Better half doesn’t care for kidney beans. Can the kidney beans be substituted for something else or is it a must have for this recipe?
You can use a different bean! 🙂